Men's Track and Field

Cross Country/Track and Field Programs Welcome 53 Newcomers

ALBANY, N.Y. - The University at Albany cross country and track and field programs have announced an incoming class of 53 student-athletes for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Of the 53 student-athletes, the 28 women and 25 men include nine local recruits, 10 transfer students, and 10 international students.

Julissa Abrahams

Sprints | Freeport, N.Y. | Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School
Personal Bests: 55m (7.19); 100m (12.24); 200m (25.9); 300m (43.14)

  • 2025 Indoor National Championship qualifier
  • 2023 Junior Olympics qualifier
  • Holds the school record for the 55m, 200m, and 300m
  • 2025 Northshore Invitational Outdoor Champion
  • Also a varsity swimmer and cheerleader in high school

Ariel Adams

Throws | Troy, N.Y. | Lansingburgh Senior High School
Personal Bests: Discus (38.57m (126-6))

  • Ranked top 10 in New York State
  • First in Colonial Council

Josiah Allen

Throws | Melbourne, Fla. | Homeschooled
Personal Bests: Javelin (61.56m (202-0))

  • 2024 Florida State Champion
  • Holds school and county record
  • Also played football in high school

Sierra Anderson

Throws | Brampton, Canada | St. Roch Catholic Secondary School 
Personal Bests: Hammer (50.33m (165-1)); Weight Throw (16.04m (52-7.5))

  • Placed second and third at Canadian Youth National Championship

Karen Augustin

Horizontal Jumps/Hurdles | Suffern, N.Y. | Suffern High School
Personal Bests: Triple Jump (11.98m (39-3.75)); Long Jump (5.77m (18-11)); 400mH (1:02.12)

  • 2025 Nike Indoor National Championship - Mixed 4x400 Runner-Up; Girls 4x400 Third Place
  • 2025 NYSPHSAA Outdoor Championship - Class A 400mH Fourth Place; Federation 4x400 Champion
  • Section I Class A Championships - 4x Indoor Champion; 10x Outdoor Champion
  • Rockland County Triple Jump Champion - 3x Indoor & 4x Outdoor
  • Holds school record in 400mH
  • Rockland County All-Time Top 10 - #4 400mH; #7 Triple Jump; #10 Long Jump

Quillar Baidy

Hurdles | Middletown, N.Y. | Middletown High School
Personal Bests: 55mH (7.38); 110mH (14.15)

  • Holds the school and section record in the 55mH and the 60mH
  • 2025 NYS Indoor Championship - 55mH Runner-Up
  • 2025 NYS Outdoor Championship - 110mH Fifth Place
  • 2025 Adidas Indoor National Championship - 60mH Seventh Place

Myles Berry

Throws | Middletown, N.Y. | Middletown High School
Personal Bests: Shot Put (16.13m (52-11)); Weight Throw (21.69m (71-2)); Discus (50.54m (165-10)); Hammer (55.54m (182-2))

  • Adidas Indoor National Championship - Third Place Weight Throw

Mackenzie Brown

Sprints | Roosevelt, N.Y. | Kellenberg Memorial High School
Personal Bests: 200m (26.5); 300m (43.0); 400m (60.0); 600m (1:44)

  • 2025 NSCHSGAA Championships - 400m Champion; 200m Runner-Up
  • 2024 NSCHSGAA Championship competitor
  • All-American
  • New York State qualifier - 4x400m relay

Tristan Brown

Hurdles | Baldwin, N.Y. | Baldwin Senior High School | CCSU
Personal Bests: 55mH (7.52); 60mH (8.18); 110mH (14.08); 400mH (55.43)

  • 2024 Division I NYS 110mH Champion
  • 2024 Most Outstanding Sprinter of the Year
  • 6x county champion
  • Holds school record in 55mH

Naomi Burinska

Mid-Distance | Ballston Spa, N.Y. | Ballston Spa High School
Personal Bests: 800m (2:30); Mile (5:51); 5k (21:46); 10k (45:13)

YvonneMae Campbell

Sprints/Hurdles | Jamaica, N.Y. | Monroe-Woodbury High School
Personal Bests: 100m (12.96); 200m (26.04); 55mH (8.39); 60mH (9.17); 100mH (14.88)

  • Section IX Champion - 100mH and 4x100m relay
  • NYS and National Qualifier

Vinny Costello

Distance | Central Valley, N.Y. | Monroe-Woodbury High School
Personal Bests: 1600m (4:37); 3200m (9:59); 5k (16:31)

  • 2024 Class A NYS XC Champions (team)
  • 2x NYS XC Federation Champions (team - 2022, 24)
  • 2x Nike NY Regional Champions (XC team - 2023, 24)
  • 2x Nike Cross Nationals Team Qualifier (2023, 24)

Russell Dada

Throws | Akure, Nigeria | Miller Place High School
Personal Bests: Discus (54.36m (178-4)); Shot Put (15.54m (51-0))

  • Ranked third in the state, second in the section in discus; fifth in Section XI in shot put
  • Finished all-county and all-league
  • NYSPHSAA Outdoor Championship competitor
  • National Championship competitor
  • Also played football in high school

Victoria Daniel

Sprints/Hurdles | Rockville Centre, N.Y. | South Side High School
Personal Bests: 100m (12.13); 100mH (14.95)

  • 2025 NYS Championships Class B - 100mH Third Place; 100m Fourth Place
  • 2025 100mH All-State 
  • 6x Conference champion (2024 & 2025) - 55m, 55mH, 4x200m relay
  • 2024 55mH county champion
  • Holds the school record in the 55mH and the 100mH
  • Additional awards: 2023 all-county (indoor), 2023 all-conference (indoor), 3x 2023 all-county (outdoor), 2023 all-division (outdoor)
  • 2x team captain
  • Also played tennis in high school

Ivanna De La Cruz Flores

Sprints/Hurdles | Bayamon, Puerto Rico | American Military Academy
Personal Bests: 400m (56.26); 400mH (1:03)

  • National Champion - 400mH
  • Member of Puerto Rican National Team
  • Puerto Rico High School Athletic Alliance (PRHSAA) Most Valuable Athlete
  • PRHSAA Champion - 100m, 200m, 300mH, 400m
  • PRHSAA record holder - 300mH, 400m

Matthew DeCicco

Multis | Hewlett, N.Y. | Hewlett High School
Personal Bests: 400m (53.4); 1500m (4:47); 55mH (7.48): 110mH (14.74); Long Jump (6.59m (21-7.5)); High Jump (1.73m (5-8)); Pole Vault (2.75m (9-0)); Shot Put (11.94m (39-2)); Discus (33.73m (110-8)); Pentathlon (3284)

  • Nike Indoor National Championship - Pentathlon Seventh Place
  • NYS Outdoor Championship - Pentathlon Fourth Place
  • NYS Indoor Championship - 55mH Fourth Place
  • 7x Nassau County Champion
  • Holds school record in 55mH and pentathlon
  • Also an all-state football player

Austin Deler

Horizontal Jumps | Bronx, N.Y. | Roy C. Ketchum High School
Personal Bests: 100m (10.9); 200m (22.7); Long Jump (6.99m (22-11))

  • Broke 51-year-old school record (long jump)
  • All-league - 100m, 200m, 4x100
  • All-county - long jump and 4x100
  • Competed in championships - league (200m) and county (long jump)
  • Also played football in high school

Amelia Sade DeJoie

Sprints | East Patchogue, N.Y. | Saint Anthony’s High School
Personal Bests: 200m (25.53); 300m (39.97); 400m (58.13)

  • Nike All-American
  • Represented Haiti at the Carifta Games
  • NYS Championships - 4x200m runner-up, 4x100 sixth place, 300m finalist
  • 6x league champion & 3x intersectional section
  • Holds school record in 4x200m relay; top three in 300m
  • Also competed as a cheerleader in high school

Leonard Durau

Horizontal Jumps | Constanta, Romania | Liceul cu program sportiv Nicolae Rotaru Constan?a 
Personal Bests: Triple Jump (15.58m (51-1.5))

  • U20 Romanian National Champion
  • U20 Indoor Balcan Championship Second Runner-Up

Fega Eruotor

Sprints | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | Merivale High School
Personal Bests: 100m (11.81); 200m (24.55)

  • 60m National Champion - Canada Indoor National Championships
  • 2023 Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations Championship - Fourth place in 200m
  • 2024 Ontario East Regional Championship - 100m Champion
  • 2025 Ontario East Regional Championship - 100m Runner-Up

Audrey Gaines

High Jump | Gouverneur, N.Y. | Gouverneur High School
Personal Best: High Jump (1.65m (5-5))

  • Section X High Jump Champion - 3x Indoor & 3x Outdoor
  • Six-time NYSPHSAA Competitor - 3x Indoor & 3x Outdoor
  • First Team All-Northern - 3x Indoor & 3x Outdoor
  • Awards: 4x Indoor & Outdoor MVP, 4x Indoor & Outdoor Coaches’ Award, Outstanding Female Jumper, 2x Female Sportsmanship Award (Ocean Breeze Section X 2025 & Middletown Section X 2025)
  • Records: Gouverneur HS (indoor, 2022 & outdoor (tied), 2025); St. Lawrence Invitational (outdoor, 2024); Salmon River Meet (2022, 2024)

Samir Gardner

Horizontal Jumps | Albany, N.Y. | Albany High School
Personal Bests: Long Jump (7.21m (23-8)); Triple Jump (13.84m (45-4.75)); 100m (10.75)

  • Holds school records in long jump (indoor), 4x200 (indoor and outdoor), 100m, 4x100, 4x400 (outdoor), SMR
  • 4x AAU Junior Olympic Qualifier
  • Section II third all-time indoor long jump
  • 2025 NYSPHSAA Outdoor State Championship Class A - Third Place Long Jump, Second Place 4x100
  • 2025 Section II Group 1 Outdoor 4x100 Champion
  • 2025 New Balance Indoor Nationals - Championship Division - Fifth Place Long Jump
  • 2025 NYSPHSAA Indoor State Championships - Long Jump Runner Up
  • 2024 NYSPHSAA Outdoor State Championship Division I - Seventh Place Long Jump
  • 2024 NYSPHSAA Indoor State Championship - Long Jump - Public Third Place, Federation Fourth Place
  • 2024 Section II Division I Indoor Long Jump Champion

Pierce Graber

Sprints | Ridgefield, Conn. | Ridgefield High School
Personal Bests: 200m (22.03); 300m (34.78); 400m (49.22)

  • 2024 FCIAC Team Champions
  • Indoor All-American - DMR
  • First Team All-FCIAC
  • Connecticut All-State
  • CT State Championship - 300m Runner-Up (Class LL), 300m Third Place (Open)
  • New England Championship - 300m Fourth Place
  • Penn Relays Carnival - DMR Runner-Up
  • Also played ice hockey and lacrosse in high school

Karla Hill

High Jump | Northville, N.Y. | Northville Central School
Personal Bests: High Jump (1.63m (5-4)); 100mH (16.07); 100m (13.07)

  • 5x WAC League Champion - 4x High Jump & 1x 100mH
  • 2x 4x100 Sectional Champion
  • 2x First Team WAC All-Star
  • Outstanding Female Athlete - Marsh Galotta Meet
  • Co-Athlete of the Meet - Bicounty

Richelle Horsford

Horizontal Jumps | Brooklyn, N.Y. | Academy for Young Writers
Personal Bests: Long Jump (5.64m (18-6)); Triple Jump (10.67m (35-0)); 100mH (16.8)

  • Holds school records in 55m, 55mH, and long jump
  • Competed in the Milrose Games - high school long jump

Benjamin Jones

Middle Distance | Orange, Australia | Kinross Wolaroi School | Middle Tennessee State
Personal Bests: 200m (22.42); 400m (48.41); 600m (1:19.98); 800m (1:53.40); 8k (XC - 25:53.4)

  • 2021 Australian National Championships - 4x400m champion; 400m second runner-up
  • 2023 Australian National Championships - 4x400m runner-up
  • 2023 ACT Second Runner-Up - 400m 
  • 2021 State Champion (400m), 800m runner-up
  • 2020 State Championships - 400m runner-up, 800m second runner-up
  • Also rowed and played soccer in high school

Taehyeong Kim

Horizontal Jumps | Seoul, South Korea | Seoul Physical Education High School | SUNY Delhi
Personal Bests: Long Jump (6.68m (21-11)); Triple Jump (14.41m (47-3.5))

  • 2025 Division III Regional Championships - Triple Jump Fourth Place
  • 2024-25 SUNYAC Indoor Championships - Triple Jump Third Place

Maxim Kruk

Throws | Minsk, Belarus | Roy C. Ketcham Senior High School | Maine
Personal Best: Discus (57.70m (189-4))

  • Top 20 in USA National U20 rankings - 2 kg discus

Shane LaFountain

Middle Distance/Distance | Albany, N.Y. | Colonie Central High School
Personal Bests: 800m (1:59.10); 1600m (4:27); 3 mile (XC) (15:30); 5k (XC) (16:04)

  • NYSPHSAA Class A Outdoor Championships - 2025 4x800 Runner-Up; 2024 4x800 Fourth Place
  • NYSPHSAA Indoor Championships - 2025 Intersectional Relay Third Place
  • NYSPHSAA Cross Country Championships - Third Place
  • Most improved miler in New York State during 2023-24 indoor season
  • Holds eighth-best 800m split (1:56.6) in school history

Jaydin Mackey

Hurdles | Syracuse, N.Y. | Cicero-North Syracuse
Personal Bests: 55mH (8.25)

  • National runner-up in hurdle relay

Grace Murray

Hurdles | Cicero, N.Y. | Cicero-North Syracuse High School
Personal Bests: 400mH (1:03.29)

  • Finished second first in the section
  • Ranked sixth in the state in 2024
  • Also played volleyball in high school

Alister Njenga

Horizontal Jumps | Nyack, N.Y. | Nyack High School
Personal Bests: Long Jump (6.93m (22-9)); Triple Jump (14.46m (47-5.5))

  • Rockland County Champion - Triple Jump (Indoor and Outdoor 2025)
  • 2x all-league (indoor/outdoor 2025) and all-section (indoor 2025)
  • Nyack High School Athlete of the Season (Winter 2025)
  • Nyack Redhawk Award (Indoor 2025)

Josiah Patterson

Throws | Islip, N.Y | Islip High School
Personal Bests: Discus (56.18m (181-4)); Shot Put (15.56m (51-0.5)); Weight Throw (17.63m (57-10.25))

  • NYS Championship - Third Place Division I Discus, eighth place overall
  • Suffolk County Champion, two-time finalist
  • Section XI Champion
  • 2x All-Section XI
  • Also played football in high school

Sienna Pimentel

Sprints/Hurdles | Queens, N.Y. | Kellenberg Memorial High School
Personal Bests: 400m (1:01.10); 55mH (9.75); 400mH (1:08.2); Triple Jump (10.18m (33-4.5))

  • NYS Qualifiers - 4x400m relay runner-up
  • CHSAA Championship - 400mH & 4x400m relay champion; triple jump third place
  • Nike National Championship - Heat 4 First Place

Aiva Pinches

Middle Distance | Newcastle, Australia | Lambton High School
Personal Bests: 400m (58); 800 (2:13)

  • 2x Australian Champion
  • 5x Australian National Championship competitor
  • Multi-time state medalist

Vincent Pitre

Middle Distance | East Patchogue, N.Y. | Bellport High School
Personal Best: 800m (1:54.65)

  • 600m Suffolk County Champion
  • Holds school record in the sprint medley relay and the indoor 800m
  • Also played soccer in high school

Tianna Rhoomes

Sprints | Oracabessa, Jamaica | St. Mary High School
Personal Bests: 100m (11.67); 200m (24.28)

  • Boys and Girls Championship - 200m sixth place; 100m eighth place
  • 2025 Eastern Champion - 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay
  • Grand Slam (Juniors Invitational) - 200m fifth place

Brooks Robson

Horizontal Jumps | Shaftesbury, Vt. | Mount Anthony Union | HVCC
Personal Bests: Long Jump (7.01m (23-0)); Triple Jump (14.34m (47-0.75))

  • 2024 NJCAA Division III National Champion - Long Jump and Triple Jump
  • 2023 NJCAA Division III National Runner-Up - Triple Jump
  • Holds Mount Anthony Union records in triple jump and long jump
  • Also played soccer in high school

Nick Sealey

Sprints/Hurdles | Brooklyn, N.Y. | Harry S. Truman High School
Personal Bests: 200m (21.89); 300m (33.65); 400m (48.01); 500m (1:04.53); 60mH (7.91); 110mH (14.03); 400mH (52.93)

  • NYS Indoor Championship - 300m Champion (second-fastest result all-time)
  • NYS Outdoor Championship - 400m Runner-Up; 400mH Champion
  • New York Relays Champion - 400m & 400mH
  • PSAL City MVP
  • Holds the school record in six events - 400m, 400mH, 110mH, 55mH, 500m, and 300mH

Imani Smith

Throws | Middle Island, N.Y. | Longwood High School
Personal Bests: Shot Put (11.42m (37-5.5)); Weight Throw (12.69m (41-7.5)); Discus (34.14m (112-0)); Hammer (33.53m (110-0))

  • 2025 County Champion - Weight Throw, Shot Put
  • Ranked first in the section in shot out, discus, and weight throw
  • Ranked first in the county in weight throw
  • Ranked 18th in the state in shot put
  • Also played volleyball and lacrosse in high school

Olivia Snodgrass

Middle Distance | Weedsport, N.Y. | Weedsport Junior Senior High School
Personal Bests: 800m (2:21.91); 1000m (3:10.63); 1500m (5:07.48); 5k (19:48.40)

  • NYS Qualifier - 2025 800m Runner-Up (Outdoor), 2024 800m Fourth Place
  • 2025 sectional meet - 800m Runner-Up (Outdoor), 1500m Fourth Place (Outdoor), 1000m Champion (Indoor)
  • 2024 cross country sectional championship - 16th Place Finish
  • 2024 sectional meet - 800m Fourth Place (Outdoor), 1500m Sixth Place (Outdoor), 1000m Fourth Place (Indoor)

Gabriel Spanbauer

Distance | Guilderland, N.Y. | Guilderland High School | SUNY Geneseo
Personal Bests: 3k (8:59); 5k (15:29); 10k (32:41); Half Marathon (73:59)

  • Won the conference championship as a team with SUNY Geneseo in every season possible (12x total - 4x XC, 4x Indoor, 4x Outdoor)
  • Also swam (50m freestyle) and played tennis in high school

Gabriella Sperling

Sprints | Baldwin, N.Y. | Rutherford High School
Personal Bests: 200m (26.2); 400m (1:00)

  • Scored 35 points at Suffolk County Championships - Long Jump & 200m Champion, 400m and 400mH Runner-Up
  • Sportsmanship award winner
  • Holds four school records

Shayne Spiteri

Sprints | Ledgewood, N.J. | Roxbury High School
Personal Bests: 55m (6.46); 100m (10.9); 200m (22.79); 400m (50.30)

  • 3x National Qualifier
  • 2x Group 3 State Champion - 55m (2024 & 2025)
  • 55m Section Champion Group 3 North 1
  • Morris Country Champion - 55m & 300m
  • Holds the school record in 55m, 100m, 4x100m relay and 4x200m relay
  • Also played basketball in high school

Owen Stachlik

Distance | Wantagh, N.Y. | Wantagh High School
Personal Bests: 1600m (4:23.33); 3200m (9:47); 5000m (15:35); 3000mSC (9:49)

  • Cross Country - All-State, Nassau County Champion, NYS Class B 20th Place
  • 4x800 Nassau County Champion (Indoor and Outdoor)
  • 1600m Nassau County Champion (Indoor)
  • 3000m Steeplechase Nassau County Champion (Outdoor)

Ryan Stark

Pole Vault | Schuylerville, N.Y. | Schuylerville High School | SUNY Cortland
Personal Bests: Pole Vault (3.50m (11-5.75))

  • Top five all-time SUNY Cortland marks (pole vault)
  • SUNYAC Championships - Pole Vault Runner-Up (Indoor & Outdoor)

Nya Thomas

Jumps/Hurdles | Stony Point, N.Y. | North Rockland High School
Personal Bests: Long Jump (5.96m (19-6.75)); High Jump (1.60m (5-3)); 100mH (14.40)

  • 2x All-American at Nike Indoor National Championship
  • 2025 NYS Indoor Championships - 55mH Public School Runner-Up, third place overall; Long Jump Public School and overall third place
  • 2024 NYS Outdoor Championships - Long Jump Runner-Up (Public and overall)
  • 2024 NYS Indoor Championships - 55mH Public School Second Runner-Up, fourth place overall
  • Also played volleyball in high school

Rakae Thomas

Middle Distance | Bronx, N.Y. | Dewitt Clinton High School
Personal Bests: 400m (1:00.79); 800m (2:35)

  • Bronx Champion - Outdoor 800m, Indoor 4x400m
  • Penn Relays Medalist - 4x400m Third Place

Jurnee Tuttle

Middle Distance | Rotterdam, N.Y. | Schalmont High School | Georgian Court
Personal Bests: 800m (2:35); 1500m (5:27)

Arianna Verardi

Middle Distance | Averill Park, N.Y. | Averill Park High School
Personal Bests: 800m (2:14.68), 1500m (4:40.92)

  • 2025 NYSPHSAA Championship - Third Place 800m, Sixth Place 1500m
  • Section II Group 2 Championship - 2025 800m & 1500m Runner-Up; 2024 800m Champion; 2023 4x800 Champion & 800m Third Place; 2022 800m Runner-Up
  • Holds the school record in 800m, 1500m, and 4x800m relay; second-best 3000m
  • Also played basketball and soccer in high school

Gunnar Williams

Sprints | Annapolis, Md. | Arundel High School | Mount St. Mary’s
Personal Bests: 200m (21.78); 400m (48.76)

  • Holds multiple high school records
  • Competed in the 2024 state final in the 100m and the 200m
  • A member of the fastest 4x400m relay in the last 12 years at Mount St. Mary’s
  • Also a member of the football and wrestling teams in high school

Arlan Wright

Multis | Knox, N.Y. | Berne Knox Westerlo Junior-Senior High School
Personal Bests: 100m (11.76); 400m (51.0); 110mH (15.79); 400mH (57.8); High Jump (1.93m (6-4)); Pentathlon (3205)

  • NYSPHSAA Division II Class C Championship - 2025 Pentathlon Runner-Up, 2024 Champion
  • 11x Section II Class C Champion - 2025 4x400, 110mH, High Jump, 400mH, 55mH; 2024 High Jump (indoor and outdoor), 400mH, 110mH; 2023 400mH, 55mH
  • 10x section champion in high jump and 55m/110m hurdles
  • Also played basketball - Class C State Champion - football, and soccer in high school

Jaymee Yelton

Middle Distance | Houston, Texas | Shadow Creek High School | Hutson-Tillotson
Personal Bests: 400m (54.90); 800m (2:10)

  • Ranked #6 in the NAIA
  • Did not run track and field until college - played basketball in high school

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